Plaud, an AI startup founded in 2021 by Nathan Xu and Charles Liu, announced on August 10, 2026, plans to invest over 10 million Singapore dollars (roughly 10 million U.S. dollars) to expand its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore [1, 2]. The company intends to increase its Singapore workforce from around 100 employees to approximately 150 by the end of 2026 [1, 2].
Singapore will serve as Plaud's central hub for the Asia-Pacific region, managing functions including cloud infrastructure, AI development, legal compliance, and other core operations [1, 2]. Nathan Xu, CEO, said, "The region is highly diverse, multilingual and fast-moving, and Singapore gives us access to strong AI, engineering and regional business talent" [2]. He added that the Singapore office will play a growing role in product development, AI research, and data infrastructure as Plaud scales globally [2].
Founded in 2021 with headquarters in San Francisco and parent company in Shenzhen, China, Plaud launched its flagship product, a credit card-sized AI notetaker, via Kickstarter in June 2023. The device has attracted over 2 million users worldwide and is available in more than 170 countries [1, 2].
The startup's Asia-Pacific market, excluding China and Japan, ranks as its third-largest after the Americas and Europe [1]. Plaud expects its 2025 revenue to reach about 250 million USD, according to co-founder Nathan Xu [1]. Despite challenges and controversy related to its Chinese background, especially in Taiwan, Plaud clarified that its main AI architecture is not based in China [1]. Xu noted the company has performed well in China despite market difficulties, saying, "At least so far, our performance in China has been quite good. It is a challenging market compared to our other experiences" [1].
Plaud currently employs over 600 people across its global offices in San Francisco, Singapore, Seattle, Shenzhen, Beijing, Tokyo, London, and Amsterdam [2]. The company cited strong demand in the Asia-Pacific region that often outpaces its supply capacity, prompting the expansion [1]. Xu explained, "We encountered demand exceeding our supply capacity" [1].
The firm views Asia-Pacific’s growing population, youthful demographics, and rapid technology adoption as key growth drivers [1]. The Singapore base is intended to support business growth as well as research and development efforts in the region [1, 2].
Plaud aims to complete its staff increase in Singapore to about 150 employees by the end of 2026 [1, 2].
